Passive smoking deaths up 50% since 1990: Lancet
A new study in The Lancet Public Health reveals that deaths linked to second-hand smoke in India have increased by 50% since 1990, reaching 325,600 in 2023. Despite a decline in the percentage of the population exposed, the absolute number of people affected has risen to 444 million, highlighting a growing public health crisis.
Why it matters
The data underscores the urgent need for stricter public smoking regulations and increased awareness to mitigate the significant burden of respiratory and chronic diseases in densely populated nations.
NEW DELHI: Deaths linked to second-hand smoke in India have soared, surging almost 50% since 1990 and claiming 325,600 lives in 2023 alone. According to a study published in The Lancet Public Health Monday, India had the world's second-highest number of people exposed to second-hand smoke in 2023, after China, with 444 million Indians affected.While India's age-standardised exposure prevalence declined from 43.2% to 30.6% over the last three decades, the absolute number of people exposed rose from 375 million in 1990 to 444 million in 2023, an increase of 18.4%. The health toll also rose sharply, with deaths attributable to second-hand smoke climbing from 217,700 to 325,600 during the same period.Fatalities among women rose from 113,400 to 156,900, while deaths among men from 104,300 to 168,700 over the same period.
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